BEAUFORT, Sc. (WSAV) – “America is not a perfect place, but the concept of America is really what they’re honoring because it’s in this place where you can grow up in the back of a liquor store and be a United States Senator.”

That’s why South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham says he stands for the National Anthem.

The Senator spoke at Beaufort’s State of the Region Wednesday, where he addressed hundreds of people from the Lowcountry.

One item discussed was the alternative healthcare bill he helped write.

“Next spring, we’ll take up Graham-Cassidy and the country’s going to go one of two ways: BernieCare – Medicare for all single payer healthcare, or the block grant approach turning the money and the power back to the states,” Graham said.

He adds, “Under the block grant… we will get a 40 percent increase in dollars over what Obamacare would provide to the state of South Carolina.”

But before a new healthcare bill, Congress wants to tackle tax reform, Graham says he wants to grow jobs by cutting corporate taxes.

“We want to simplify the tax code, we want to cut taxes for working people, we want to make sure we make it less complicated, eliminate some deductions for the few at the expense of the many,” he said.

When it comes to immigration, Graham said we need to secure the border, but give Dreamers a chance to stay by paying a fee and requiring education.

Senator Graham opposes President Trump’s push to end the Fair Trade Agreement.

“NAFTA has been good for South Carolina, we’re an export state,” Grahams said, “So make it better, yes, but don’t go too far.”

This week, Congress plans to revisit the Iran Nuclear Deal; Graham’s priorities are to grow the military and provide them with the equipment they need “to win wars we can’t afford to lose.”